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Just finished the new season last night. I'm surprised at the iffy critical consensus. I thought it was just as funny as the original, and he narrative structure was incredibly well executed. There are a whole bunch of lines and things that happen in the early episodes that are nonsensical throwaways that become hilarious later. (Favorite example: the woman George Michael is working for in Spain screaming "nothing matters now! The drones are coming!")

I've found it difficult to keep up with the convoluted plot and I didn't like that the episode were character-centric. I would have rather had the gags broken up by interpolated stories, otherwise it seems like they just drag on like a bad SNL sketch SPOILER (for example, when George-Michael tries to kick his dad out of the dorm....would have been hilarious as a quick gag every couple minutes, but as a five minute gag it just bored me).

But I'm only two eps in. I do love all the in-jokes SPOILER "they were waiting for a fourth season that would never come."

I've already watched it twice through. The second half is like vintage AD, though it takes a few eps to really kick in. It took me awhile to adjust to how radically different Lindsay looked. Portia diRossi has lost weight and clearly had some work done, but she barely looks like the same person, much more than a little plastic surgery and weight loss would usually do.

I'm only halfway through, but I'm enjoying it so far. The first few episodes left me feeling a bit worried, but I think the complex plot structure and single-character focus is redeeming them somewhat as stuff that made no sense is now becoming clear.

I definitely don't think it reaches the heights of the original run, but it is definitely enjoyable. And I have to say that I wasn't blown away by the original the first time either. The real test of AD is how well something works on the second and third watch.

but I think the complex plot structure and single-character focus is redeeming them somewhat as stuff that made no sense is now becoming clear.

Yea, I get the sense a LOT of jokes are being set up that will pay off later in the season. Like SPOILER the pose that Michael makes in the magazine didn't make sense as a joke, but in the next episode it begins to make sense why its a joke.

I thought Maeby looked way different. It took me a minute to even recognize her.

I'm only about 7 episodes in, but I take heart in hearing (from many sources) that season 4 comes together well toward the end. I found the first few episodes pretty tough to get through (particularly the first George Sr. episode). The first GOB episode was brilliant.

It was never going to be what the original was, and I do think it's hurt by the character-centric episodes (which I know were necessitated by the difficulty of getting everyone together in the same place at the same time). But it was certainly worth doing, and I'm sure in the end it's going to be better than 95% of what's on TV these days.

Forget huge mistakes, it was a huge stretch by the author to attempt to connect these various things to baseball. Yeesh.

He made his article nearly unreadable. I understand that show has a small clique of viewers that enjoy extremely obvious and broad humor., but if I was one I'd be watching the show not trying to read about baseball.

I'm glad to hear it gets better towards the end, because the first six episodes I've watched so far are horrible. There's parts that are good, but the subtlety is gone. For example (not giving spoilers): Lucille smoking with Buster's help. With a network show that last 22 minutes, they'd cut that scene down to maybe 10 seconds. The humor in the incident would have been in the background, sort of like a couple of dogs humping in the background while the woman reporter is on air promoting the city's art fair.

But with 30-35 minute episodes, there's plenty of time to make sure everyone sees the joke. So the 10 second clever comedy act becomes 60 seconds of repetition. Same thing with George Michael kicking his dad out of the dorm. The jokes are too long.

It gets tremendously better and is even more fantastic the second time through. The entire series originally had jokes in the 1st season (and 2nd, 3rd) that didn't make sense unless you had seen the entire series (there are various jokes about Buster's hand, for instance, even in the first season!). The 4th season take that kind of writing to the next level and is absolutely genius. Layers upon layers of comedy.

I will freely admit that my reaction to Lindsay's different appearance is probably gendered. I respond to the physical characteristics of attractive women, as most straight/bi men do, and I REALLY noticed Lindsay. It's also true that Michael Cera has gone from cute to kinda child-molestery, and David Cross has some chins he didn't used to have. I do think that Portia DiRossi's physical changes are more radical -- though they do fit with the character.

ALL OF THAT SAID. It becomes less noticeable when she loses the wig and goes to the cute, short do she has in real life. I think that one of the major differences is actually a makeup choice -- her eyebrows are bleached in season 4, and they never were before.

I've only watched 7 episodes, and am impressed that it's still brilliant. Shibal and I must be watching different shows, because I think this is paying off huge, and that it's very very honest to the original.

Never got arrested development personally. I know smart, funny people who do, so I kind of let it go. What I don't get is all the angst the shows cancellation brought on. This wasn't Firefly, where a show's significant fanbase was abused by a network that just never bought into the show. AD had its run, and viewership fell to the point that making new episodes didn't make sense. I'm glad for its fans that there are new episodes, but if Community had been cancelled I hardly think I would have been in an uproar over it.

Haven't dipped into Season 4, since unintentionally started re-watching the entire series thanks to IFC running weekend marathons the last few weeks. I've seen more than a couple of references to a lot more low-brow/crass jokes in S4 compared to the rest of the series. True? It's Always Sunny is one of my favorite shows and Louis CK is one of my favorite comedians, so I'd like to think I'm not too easily offended, but some of these comments has me worried that the writers went down a path they mostly avoided throughout the original run.

AD had its run, and viewership fell to the point that making new episodes didn't make sense. I'm glad for its fans that there are new episodes, but if Community had been cancelled I hardly think I would have been in an uproar over it.

Part of that is because Fox jerked around viewers by erratic airings of new episodes. AD is definitely a prime example of a series being elevated to a higher level through the medium of DVD, but Fox didn't do the show any favors.

And personally, I'd be fine with Community getting the ax. I enjoyed the first couple of seasons, but lost interest as the series devolved into a string of gimmick episodes. It's a "smart" show, but not in the same way AD was/is. I can't comment on the new season, but the original run layered its jokes in a way I can't say I've seen in another show. As someone mentioned, there's allusions to things that will happen a season later (e.g. in season 1, someone makes a remark about "giving a hand" and there's a weird pan over to Buster, which is seemingly random until midway through S2). It's a show that really calls for repeated viewings because there's just so much to take in and pick up that it's almost impossible to process it all on one viewing.

Since there's a slice possibility that it could me be, I'll start anew from episode 1 and see what I'm missing.

No, go all the way through to the end and then start over with 1. There are jokes in the first episode that are punchlines of jokes set up later in the season. Also, the first episode answers some questions from the end of the season.

This wasn't Firefly, where a show's significant fanbase was abused by a network that just never bought into the show. AD had its run, and viewership fell to the point that making new episodes didn't make sense.

The problem that AD had was that FOX didn't know how to promote it, didn't know where to put it, and the nature of the show (lots of cameos) made it a very expensive show to produce.

I've loved the first 8 episodes, and if the critical reception's tepid, it's because everybody forgot how deeply layered the first three seasons were. AD's always been crazy, crazy flow-chart comedy. But we've watched the first three seasons on DVD so much that we know that flow chart.

Also, my wife also thought Portia de Rossi and Maeby looked terrible. I don't need to discuss Portia de Rossi, but Maeby's rocking a horrible hairstyle. It's funny now when they make Ann jokes. They have to dress her like an idiot, otherwise any rational male would choose her over Maeby.

Time also hasn't been kind to David Cross and Michael Cera. But the three Bluth sons all look pretty much the same.

Speaking of Steve Holt, did anybody notice the Literal Doctor also put on some weight too?

As for AD I'm up to episode 11 and while I like it I do think they dumbed it down for first time viewers. For instance there was a joke about Sally Sitwell's lack of hair in the last episode I watched and instead of just having a single one liner about it they really focused on it, had several lines go over it in detail and then had the narrator explain the joke. I feel the old AD would have just had the one line about it and left it up to you to figure it out. This beating you over the head so you get the joke thing seems to be a common problem for this 4th season. I think the problem is that the old shows were 22 minutes long and these shows are all around 30 minutes long.

The Happy Days references and jokes seem to be really forced and over the top when the do them as well.

Since there's a slice possibility that it could me be, I'll start anew from episode 1 and see what I'm missing.

So for you its ANUSTART?

No, go all the way through to the end and then start over with 1. There are jokes in the first episode that are punchlines of jokes set up later in the season.

I wonder if the difference is I just missed those jokes in S1, but the show was so packed with other jokes it didn't matter, while now it seems like they are losing their subtlety, so you know its a joke, but you don't quite get it because its being set up for something later?

Or what McCoy says in #39. Part of what I loved about the show before was the subtlety and the stuff I would have to rewatch. That subtlety seems gone although its possible I'm just missing it.

It's Always Sunny is one of my favorite shows and Louis CK is one of my favorite comedians, so I'd like to think I'm not too easily offended, but some of these comments has me worried that the writers went down a path they mostly avoided throughout the original run.

I haven't seen any of the new episodes yet - I'm midway through season 3 in rewatching the original run - so I can't say for sure. But you might be picking up on the differences in censorship among FOX and FX and Netflix. It's likely the writers didn't have as wide a berth with FOX as they do with Netflix.

i have seen a few of the AD episodes when they were on fox and didn't think any of it was even a little bit funny. i can't get interested at all in something in which you have to watch every miunute of every episode severeal times to get "jokes" - it's like a 20 hour movie

It's funny now when they make Ann jokes. They have to dress her like an idiot, otherwise any rational male would choose her over Maeby.

Her??????

I don't really get the Portia "controversy." There are pics of her just a few weeks ago where she looks pretty much the same as she always has - maybe she's had some surgery touch ups, but she looks basically the same. Its pretty obvious on AD she's been made up to look like she's had major plastic surgery.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with it. I think it'll be better on the re-watch but even the first time through, a lot of jokes landed and the plot complexities managed to work themselves out reasonably well.

i think the issue with portia de rossi is in the lower half of her face. it just looks like its fallen off.

also, i agree about alot of the jokes being run into the ground, but i also agree with bbc about the layers and layers of subtle jokes being a turn off to a large percentage of the general audience. from what i've seen so far, the 4th season tries to split that difference, but i don't think it's done so very successfully.

also, i think the 4th season is relying way too much on ron howard's narration.

I think a lot of the people who have complained about the new season are the people who binge-watched it right when it was released. My girlfriend and I are 'slowly' making our way through it and enjoying it. I'm already looking forward to the rewatch.